Visiting Newark Park with your dog

Close up of a small brown and white dog — Dogs are welcome at Newark Park | © National Trust Images/Chris Lacey

Newark Park has a long history of welcoming dogs into the garden and estate. Today there’s plenty of space for dogs and their owners to enjoy around the wider estate. Find out below what you need to know for you and your dog to get the most from your visit, such as where dogs can (and can't) go and where to find water bowls and dog waste bins.

Our pawprint rating system

We’ve been working on making it easier for you to find out how dog-friendly your visit will be before you and your four-legged-friend arrive. To help with this, we've created a new pawprint rating system and given all the places in our care a rating. You can find this information in the National Trust members’ handbook.

Newark Park is a two pawprint rated place.

These places have water bowls, dog bins and dog-friendly walks. You’ll be able to take your dog into some areas, but not everywhere. If there’s a food and beverage outlet, you can have a cup of tea with them, probably outside. Read on to discover exactly where you can take your dog.

Dogs at Newark Park

The King family at Newark kept many pet dogs during their time here in the late Victorian period. These pets were later buried in the garden and marked with small headstones. The last tenants to live at Newark Park enjoyed keeping several pet Great Danes.

Where can my dog go?

Well-behaved dogs on leads are welcome everywhere in Newark Park’s garden and estate.

A visitor in a green jacket walks a dog along a path — Dog and owner explore the grounds | © National Trust Images/Paul Harris

Keeping control of your dog

Our definition of close or effective control is:

Being able to recall your dogs in any situation at the first call
Being able to clearly see your dog at all times (not just knowing they have gone into the undergrowth). In practice, this means keeping them on a footpath if the surrounding vegetation is too dense for your dog to be visible
Not allowing them to approach other visitors without their consent

Dogs must be kept on a lead at all times in all areas of Newark Park.

Where can’t my dog go?

The only place your dog can't go is inside the house, where only assistance dogs are welcome.

The Canine Code

We’ve worked with our partner Forthglade to come up with this Canine Code, which helps to make sure everyone can enjoy their day:

Keep them close: using a short lead helps to keep your dog from disturbing ground-nesting birds and farm animals. It's essential to use a short lead around sheep. But if cattle approach you, it's best to let your dog off the lead, and call them back when it's safe to do so.
Pick up the poo: please always clear up after your dog. If you can't find a bin nearby, take the poo bags home with you.
Watch the signs: keep an eye on local signs and notices wherever you're walking. They'll tell you if a beach has a dog ban, for instance, or if a path has been diverted, or if you're in an area where dogs can run off-lead.
Stay on the ball: remember that not everyone loves dogs, and some people fear them. So make sure your dog doesn't run up to other people, especially children.

What facilities are available for my dog?

A water bowl is available by the visitor reception and outside the catering pavilion.

Spare dog waste bags are available from visitor reception. A dog waste bin can be found in the car park and on the path from visitor reception to the estate walks.